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LSU President F. King Alexander says university 'takes these accusations seriously' of alumni association lawsuit

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LSU Association President and CEO Dr. Charlie Roberts was accused in a lawsuit filed Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, in 19th Judicial District Court, of offering lifetime monthly payoffs to an employee with whom he had a sexual relationship and later asked to resign. The association, which the lawsuit says had members on its board of directors who knew of the relationship and requested a resignation, is also named as a defendant. (Robert Rhoden, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The lawsuit claims alumni association president Charlie Roberts encouraged Kay Heath, the woman who filed the lawsuit and with whom he allegedly had a sexual relationship, to take a job at the association so she could afford to divorce her then-husband. When members of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors learned in 2012 of the prohibited sexual relationship between Roberts and a woman under his supervision, the lawsuit says, members allegedly indicated that either Roberts or Heath must resign.

Heath alleges in the lawsuit Roberts offered her payouts of $3,200 a month if she resign after she received about six months of severance pay worth $21,000. The suit alleges at least one board member knew about the monthly payoff arrangement between Roberts and Heath. She filed suit against Roberts and the association when the payments stopped in July 2014 and is asking the court to reinstatement payments.

Charlie Robertswww.ece.lsu.edu

Messages left for Roberts and association employees were not returned Tuesday evening.

A woman who answered Roberts' office phone Wednesday said that at this time, "we are making no comment," adding: "We have not been served with any type of lawsuit here."

Association board member John "Jay" Babb of Baton Rouge, reached at his office, said the board is not commenting on the lawsuit at this time and that the association's lawyer would handle communications about the lawsuit.

LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander issued the following statement Wednesday:

"LSU takes these accusations seriously, and will conduct an inquiry to gather all the facts. We will ensure that we do the right thing by our alumni and our university."

The LSU Alumni Association is a 501-c3 nonprofit that operates separately from the university. LSU interim communications director Jason Droddy said LSU has its own policy regarding sexual relationships between supervisors and employees, as well as teachers and students, which is in line with federal and state laws.

Stay with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for more on this developing story.